# Seasoning a humidor with Boveda and distilled water



## rjackh (May 20, 2013)

I have three 84% RH packets in my Savoy 100 count humidor, plus a tupperware bowl with strips of sponges sitting in distilled water. I was getting about 74% RH with the xikar hygrometer mounted in the lid. When I moved it to the bottom of the box I started getting about 65-69%. Should I use more boveda packets? I am checking the hygrometer reading 2 or 3 times a day and it has been set up like this for three days. The only thing I can think of is that I am opening up the humidor too often to check the hygrometer. I will do a salt test and check the calibration again tonight. I need the hygrometer to read 84% in the bottom of the humidor before I take out the packets and check if it holds the RH, right? Thanks.


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## piperdown (Jul 19, 2009)

No, you just need to get the rH stable in the humidor.
Once it's stable then switch to a lower Boveda pack, such as 65% and see that it holds steady for a couple of days.
If it stays stable then toss in your cigars. The rH may spike once it has cigars in it. Monitor it for a week.
If the rH is high it may take a few weeks of opening the humidor regularly to lower it.
If its too low you may need to add a few extra Boveda packs in there and just leave it alone for a week or so.


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## cprsquared (Feb 13, 2013)

rjackh said:


> I have three 84% RH packets in my Savoy 100 count humidor, plus a tupperware bowl with strips of sponges sitting in distilled water. I was getting about 74% RH with the xikar hygrometer mounted in the lid. When I moved it to the bottom of the box I started getting about 65-69%. Should I use more boveda packets? I am checking the hygrometer reading 2 or 3 times a day and it has been set up like this for three days. The only thing I can think of is that I am opening up the humidor too often to check the hygrometer. I will do a salt test and check the calibration again tonight. I need the hygrometer to read 84% in the bottom of the humidor before I take out the packets and check if it holds the RH, right? Thanks.


IF the hygrometer is accurate, you're done seasoning. The goal isn't to get to 84%. The goal, like piperdown says, is the RH where you're going to store the cigars - generally 68-72. So if you calibrated that hygro with our calibration kit, we're 100% sure it's accurate and you're ready for cigars and long-term RH packs. If you haven't calibrated with our kit, throw the hygro in a small Tupperware with any large pack for 24 hours and you'll know how accurate it is within 1% of the RH on the pack.

Savoy humidors should come with the correct number of 84's included. In your case, 4. Did it only come with 3?


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## rjackh (May 20, 2013)

cprsquared said:


> IF the hygrometer is accurate, you're done seasoning. The goal isn't to get to 84%. The goal, like piperdown says, is the RH where you're going to store the cigars - generally 68-72. So if you calibrated that hygro with our calibration kit, we're 100% sure it's accurate and you're ready for cigars and long-term RH packs. If you haven't calibrated with our kit, throw the hygro in a small Tupperware with any large pack for 24 hours and you'll know how accurate it is within 1% of the RH on the pack.
> 
> Savoy humidors should come with the correct number of 84's included. In your case, 4. Did it only come with 3?


I calibrated using the salt test. I rechecked it again last night and it's calibrated correctly. My humidor did not come with any boveda packs. It came with a junky hygrometer and a humidification unit. I purchased a boveda pack holder and packs separately. Should it have come with packs? Its the large rosewood version that does not come with the boveda pack holder already in the lid.


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## cprsquared (Feb 13, 2013)

rjackh said:


> I calibrated using the salt test. I rechecked it again last night and it's calibrated correctly. My humidor did not come with any boveda packs. It came with a junky hygrometer and a humidification unit. I purchased a boveda pack holder and packs separately. Should it have come with packs? Its the large rosewood version that does not come with the boveda pack holder already in the lid.


Ah, the version that doesn't have the slots don't come with Boveda included. You're done seasoning and ready for cigars and long-term RH packs!


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